Black Lightning: A Russian Delivery Boy Fights Capitalism in a…Flying Volga

You may not know the name Timur Bekmambetov, but you would surely have seen Wanted: that over-the-top movie with Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and that guy from Atonement. That was him.

He also made two really cool Russian language urban sci-fi / horror movies called Night Watch and Day Watch, the first of which made more money in its homeland than the first three Lord of the Rings movies put together. So when Mr. B releases a new movie, I’m there. His latest effort is Black Lightning, which is a superhero origin story. Spoilers ahead...

Dima is a university student with a problem. He has a massive crush on the new girl, Nastya, but no money and no car. His well-meaning Dad gives Dima his old Volga and encourages him to get a job. The job Dima eventually finds its delivering fresh flowers for an over-demanding boss.

Sounds pretty ordinary so far, huh? Well, get this: the Volga is a Soviet Era flying car, powered by a very unique power source that the big bad needs to power his top secret mining laser (yes, the villain in this movie is a capitalist!). The bad finds out about Dima’s Volga and his henchmen end up murdering the boy’s father. Dima responds by becoming a sort of superhero and national icon, using his flying car to save lives and fight crime.

Meanwhile, the bad guys are closing in and soon Dima is forced to fight for his life – and the lives of all of Moscow. Black Lightning is the sort of superhero movie Hollywood hardly makes any more. It’s silly, but not too silly and has the right mix of gravitas and humour to keep you humming on.

It’s not high art, but it’s well made, and the acting and special effects are what we’ve come to expect from Bekmambetov over the years. The cast is great, especially Viktor Verzhbitskiy as the villain. He’s worked with this director before, and always manages to have that slimy menace that Lex Luthor-esque movie villains so richly deserve.

The film should be readily available to rent and buy, albeit only with subtitles, and you can check out the (subbed) trailer below.

By Tristan Hankins

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Russian Customizer Turns a Jaguar into a GAZ-21 Lookalike

Previously on CoolPictures, we’ve seen Pontiac Fieros turned into “Fierarris”, Toyota Soarers adorned with Mercedes-Benzes off cuts and some others too hideous to even mention. For the most part, it’s a case of turning a boring, mainstream car into something that resembles a high-priced exotic if you’re squinting through grease paper with the sun in your eyes and have lost a lot of blood.

What you rarely see is something exotic transformed into something that some people would call mundane. That’d just be silly. Never to be one to shy away from a challenge, the Russians have done just that: taken a Jag and turned it into a GAZ.

Originally this car was a 1993 Jaguar XJ40 with an automatic transmission and a 3.2 L V6. Its exterior has been adorned with the grille, head- and taillights, unique side vents and boot emblem from a ‘70s Volga. It’s not quite in the same league as the BMW 6-series derived Volga V8 Roadster or the Porsche Cayenne-based “Lenin-mobile”, but it’s still an impressive transformation.

No awkward shutlines, no weird overhangs: it just goes to show, when it comes to customization, the Russians know their craft. Maybe the results aren’t always attractive or tasteful, but they’ve got the engineering and mechanical side down pat.

To understand why this was done, you need to understand what the GAZ M21 Volga or GAZ-21 means to Russia. Over there, it’s as ubiquitous and well liked as the Mini, Checker cab or Citroen 2CV are in their respective nations. So it’s no surprise that Volga owners shower a lot of care and attention on their cars.

Working-class Americans used to aspire to own Cadillacs. Working-class poms used to aspire to own Rovers. And in Russia, working-class Russians aspired to own a GAZ. It’s that simple. Check out our gallery and let us know your view in the comments section below.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: eBay

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